Position: 16 degrees, 49 minutes south; 151 degrees, 21 minutes west

We’re currently anchored just inside the reef at Raiatea. It’s both unnerving and spectacular. The ocean waves of up to 10 feet and the winds in the low 20’s are hitting the reef and making for a lot of noise. However, all the energy gets expended when the wave breaks on the reef, so it’s relatively calm where we’re anchored. We’re on a “shelf” between the shallow reef and a deeper inner reef passageway that goes all the way around the island. The reef protects the outside and is very shallow and the passageway is like a lagoon around the island protected by the reef. The shelf is a very narrow transition zone that allows us to anchor in reasonable depth. As we approached the spot we wanted to use, the depth went from 100 feet (deep blue) to 20 feet (turquoise) to 10 feet (light green/blue) in about two boat lengths. We dropped anchor in 20 feet, but once the chain was out, Charisma was sitting in 45 feet (the anchor is still at 20 feet) and a boat length behind us is 100 feet. The anchor alarm is set, but less of an issue over here since if we drag it will be into deeper water in the lagoon and we’ll have plenty of time to do something about it versus over at Huahine were we would drag right onto the reef if the anchor let go.

We had a nice sail over the 20 mile channel between Huahine and Raiatea. Deep blue water, 10-15 knots of wind and four foot waves. We did 5 knots most of the way with just the jib (yes, I’m lazy and didn’t want to put up the main for such a short sail).

Coming through the pass was an experience. It’s pretty narrow and the surf breaks aggressively very near the boat on both sides. You feel like if you are a few feet to either side, you’ll run up on the rocks, but in reality there’s probably 100 yards of room. Still, not much when you’re talking about powerful Pacific waves crashing down.

Once anchored, I dove on the anchor. Not as solid as I’d like to see. It’s laying on its side, but we backed down very hard on it and it held. We have a lot of chain out so we should be good.

Once we were set, we joined up with the other two boats here-Astarte and Ladybug and went ashore to see Marae Taputaputea, which is held to be; “the most important religious and historical site in Polynesia”. Indeed it was very impressive. The number and size of the rocks that were brought here and put into place to make the platforms and monuments where religious ceremonies were held centuries ago, is truly amazing. After visiting the site, we walked around the little village and then back to the boats for…what else at that time of day? Charismas! Yes, everyone came back for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. A lot of fun sitting in the cockpit watching the sunset and swapping stories. Ann is cooking a light dinner of scrambled eggs and bacon and then we’ll sit in the cockpit listening to the wind and waves crashing on the beach before crashing ourselves into the bunk.

Another fun day. Did I say “fun”? Yes, we are having fun again now that the “wind event” has passed.

event” has passed.